What’s New in WordPress 6.2 (Features and Screenshots)

29.03.2023News, WordPress 6.2, wordpress releasesEditorial Staff

WordPress 6.2 has just been released, and it is the first major WordPress release of 2023.

This new version is packed with significant improvements and new features. Many of them focused on the block editor and site editing in WordPress.

In this article, we’ll show you what’s new in WordPress 6.2 and which features you should try after the update.

An overview WordPerss 6.2 release with features and screenshots

Note: WordPress 6.2 is a major release, and unless you are on a managed WordPress hosting service, you’ll have to initiate the update manually. Here’s how to safely update WordPress.

Important: Don’t forget to create a complete WordPress backup before updating.

That being said, here’s all that’s new in WordPress 6.2.

WordPress Site Editor Comes out of Beta

The site editor comes out of the beta.

It has been around for the past few WordPress releases, the removal of the beta label is merely an invitation for more users to try it.

This also indicates the completion of phase 2 of the WordPress development roadmap which started out with the release of the new block editor back in WordPress 5.0 (late 2018).

WordPress 6.2 includes several new features added to the site editor, including some brand-new tools which we’ll talk about later in this article.

Note: Full site editor is available with block themes that support this feature. You can try it out even if you are using the older classic editor with a block-enabled theme.

Navigation menus help you define your website layout to your users. However, creating them in the full site editor had been a bit difficult for beginners.

WordPress 6.2 now comes with an improved ‘Navigation’ block.

You can now create and manage the Navigation block by editing items in the sidebar.

To add a new menu item, simply click on the ‘add (+)’ button. You can also drag and drop menu items to rearrange them.

Want to use a different menu? You can now easily switch between menus you have created earlier by clicking on the Three-dot menu in the sidebar.

Overall, this is a significant improvement to the older Navigation block where you had to edit items inline which was not a good experience for beginners.

Improved Template Browsing Experience

WordPress 6.2 comes with a new template browsing experience.

This allows users to browse different templates to find out which one they need to edit if they want to make changes to a certain area of their website.

To edit a template or template part, simply click to load it inside the preview window. After that, just click on the preview window to start editing.

Want to exit the site editor?

Simply click on the WordPress or your site logo at the top left corner of the screen to enter the template browser. Then click again to exit and return to the WordPress dashboard.

The template browser screen will now also show you that you have unsaved changes.

It also offers an improved saving experience showing what changes you are saving.

Template Parts Highlighted with Colors

A template in the site editor may include several template parts, like the header and footer.

These are global elements that can be used in multiple places on your WordPress website. If you edit a template part on one page, those changes will be reflected all over your site.

Previously when editing a template part, the only indication was the label at the top changed to show the template part name.

Template part editing before WordPress 6.2

Editing template parts affects all templates that include those elements. This makes it important to indicate that users are editing a global template part and not simply the page they are looking at.

WordPress 6.2 now makes this more noticeable by adding colors and an icon to indicate that you are editing a template part.

Modify Your Theme With The Style Book

WordPress 6.2 comes with a style book feature in the site editor.

This is basically one convenient place to browse how your theme displays all the blocks. To access it you need to switch to the Styles panel and then click on the Style Book icon. It is the one that looks like an eye.

Style book shows all block styles at one place

This will show you all the blocks, and how they are styled in your theme. They are organized into different categories so that you can easily locate the block you want to edit.

Click to start editing a block and you will see all the tools that you can use in the sidebar panel. Changes you make here will apply globally to your theme.

Basically, you can change the appearance of your entire theme by editing individual blocks here and creating a completely new style of your own.

Want to edit block styles individually? Don’t worry there are even more design tools at your disposal to edit blocks.

Ability to Add Custom CSS to Your Theme or Blocks

By default, the site editor hides the legacy Theme Customizer interface. Many users added their custom CSS in the ‘Additional CSS’ panel available with the legacy customizer.

Until 6.2, it was a problem to add custom CSS using the default tools available.

WordPress 6.2, however, now allows you to add custom CSS that applies to your entire site. Simply click on the Styles panel and choose Custom CSS under the three-dot menu.

You can also add custom CSS to individual blocks as well.

Switch to the Style panel and then click on Blocks.

Now, you need to select the block that you want to modify.

After that, click on the ‘Additional Block CSS’ tab to enter your custom CSS code.

WordPress 6.2 makes it easier to add custom CSS if you need to. However, it comes with a ton of built-in design tools which are much easier to use than adding custom CSS.

Copy and Paste Block Styles

Another styling feature that reduces the need to add custom CSS is the ability to simply copy and paste block styles.

Let’s say that you just made some changes to a block and want to make the same changes on another block as well.

With WordPress 6.2 you can simply click on ‘Copy styles’ under the block options.

After that, click on the block options for the block where you want to paste the style and select ‘Paste styles.’

Note: Your browser will ask for permission to allow your website to view the contents of the clipboard. You need to click ‘Allow’ to continue.

Improved Pattern Insertion

WordPress block patterns are a collection of pre-made design elements that you can use for creating custom content layouts faster.

By default, WordPress comes with several built-in patterns. Your WordPress theme may also include its own pattern. Plus, you can find more patterns in WordPress Patterns Directory.

WordPress 6.2 comes with an improved pattern insertion interface.

Openverse Free Media Library Integration

WordPress 6.2 now adds a ‘Media’ tab in the inserter as well.

Here, you can choose media from your own WordPress media library or browse royalty-free images from Openverse.

Openverse is a sister project of WordPress.org. It allows openly licensed and public domain works to be discovered and used by everyone.

Once you select an image it will be inserted into the editor and downloaded to your WordPress media library as well.

WordPress will also save the image caption which may include a link back to the original source. You can delete this caption if the image is in the public domain.

New Sub Panels for Block Settings & Styles

WordPress 6.2 now uses sub-panels to separate block settings and styles.

This helps users understand where they need to look if they want to change the appearance of a block.

Sub panels for block settings and styles

New Distraction-Free Mode

Historically, WordPress has always provided options to hide the formatting buttons and toolbars on the post editor screen.

Here is how it looked in WordPress 4.1 with the older classic editor.

Distraction free mode in older classic editor

However, the block editor had the option to be used in full-screen mode. WordPress 5.4 started using the full-screen mode as the default.

This allowed users to have a much cleaner writing interface, but there was no distraction-free mode.

WordPress 6.2 now comes with a completely clean and calm distraction-free mode.

Users will be able to choose it from the editor settings, and it removes all toolbars and editing panels from the screen.

Import Classic Widgets as Template Parts in Block Themes

WordPress 6.2 provides a nice fallback for importing classic legacy widgets in block themes when switching themes.

Users with classic widget themes lost their legacy widgets when they switched to a block theme. Now, you can import them as template parts.

Simply create a new template part by clicking on the ‘Add New Block’ button (+).

Import classic widgets into template part

From the template part settings panel, click on the Advanced tab to expand it, and you’ll find the option to import a widget area from your previous theme.

Miscellaneous Enhancements

WordPress 6.2 contains a ton of enhancements. It merges 10 Gutenberg releases (‘Gutenberg’ is the codename for the original block editor project) into WordPress core so there are many refinements and new features to explore.

Here are some of the most useful enhancements.

1. Captions Button in Image Block Toolbar

Previously WordPress automatically added the caption area below the image and moved the cursor automatically to the caption.

This led many users to continue writing their text not realizing that they are writing it in the caption area.

WordPress 6.2 fixes this by adding a caption button to the toolbar. Users can now use it to add a caption if needed.

2. Improved Calendar Block

The calendar block now comes with more color options.

3. The List, Outline, and Info Panels are Merged

The list view, outline, and info panel are now merged into one convenient location.

List block now shows outline and information panel

4. Group Block Layout

The ‘Group’ block now lets you choose a layout.

5. The Download Link for Media Files

The media screen will now show a ‘Download File’ link in the list view.

6. New Icon for Settings Panel

The icon to display the settings panel previously used a gear icon. It is now presented with a panels icon.

Under The Hood Changes

WordPress 6.2 also includes a ton of changes intended for developers. Following are some of these changes:

A new HTML API called WP_HTML_Tag_Processor is introduced. (Details)
A new client-side filter called blockEditor.useSetting.before is introduced. It allows developers to change block settings before the editor is rendered. (Details)
Patterns API extended to include template_types property. (Details)
Faster updates by moving directories instead of copying them. (Details)
A new switch_to_user_locale() function is introduced. (Details)
Create autosave revisions only when content is changed. (Details)
Add a style variation tag to themes that use style variations. (Details)

We hope this article helped you uncover what’s new in WordPress 6.2 and which new features to try out. We are particularly excited about all the changes to the site editor and performance improvements for block themes.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post What’s New in WordPress 6.2 (Features and Screenshots) first appeared on WPBeginner.

Best Practices for Creating a Mobile-Friendly WooCommerce WordPress Theme

29.03.2023woocommerce, Woocommerce ThemesTeam WPLift

Creating a mobile-friendly WooCommerce WordPress theme can be tricky. There are a lot of factors to consider when it comes to mobile performance, from loading speed to plugins to image optimization. A WooCommerce theme must work well on mobile for obvious reasons; eCommerce shoppers will click away if a website could be more appealing to [...]

WooCommerce vs. Shopify: Which Is The Best E-Commerce Platform For Your Online Store?

29.03.2023woocommerce, WordPress NewsTeam WPLift

Launching an eCommerce store is becoming more and more accessible. However, finding the best eCommerce platform for your business can take time and effort: how can you figure out which works best for you? WooCommerce and Shopify are two of the most popular eCommerce platforms. They have one fundamental difference: WooCommerce works specifically with WordPress, [...]

How to Add Fuzzy Search in WordPress to Improve Results

29.03.2023better wordpress search, fuzzy search, search results wordpress, searchwp, WordPress Plugins, wordpress searchEditorial Staff

Do you want to add fuzzy search to your WordPress website?

Adding fuzzy search helps users easily find the information they are looking for, even if they misspell or otherwise incorrectly enter their query. This improves the overall search experience and user engagement on your website.

In this article, we’ll show you how to easily add fuzzy search to your WordPress website.

How to add fuzzy search to your WordPress website

What is Fuzzy Search And Why Should You Add it to Your Website?

Fuzzy search looks for partial matches for a search term, even if no exact matches are available, and shows users the most appropriate results.

This way, users can find the right content on your website even if they make typos in the search query.

By default, all WordPress websites come with a basic search feature that only shows results for exact matches.

For instance, if a user misspells a term, no results will be shown not even partial matches. This creates a bad search experience for users and often causes them to leave your site. You can see this in the image below.

This is where SearchWP comes in. It is the best WordPress search plugin on the market that automatically replaces the default search with a much better search feature.

Unlike the default WordPress search, SearchWP can use fuzzy search as well as look for matches in titles, excerpts, post or page content, products, custom fields, categories, tags, PDF files, and more.

For instance, if a user searches for ‘vintage furniture’ on your WordPress blog but misspells a word, they’ll still be able to find your posts on this topic.

The image below shows the same misspelled search using the SearchWP plugin.

That being said, let’s see how you can easily add fuzzy search to your WordPress website.

How to Add Fuzzy Search to Your WordPress Website

First, you need to install and activate the SearchWP plugin. For more details, please see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you need to visit the SearchWP » Settings page from the admin sidebar and switch to the ‘License’ tab.

Next, you need to copy and paste your license key and click on the ‘Activate’ button. You can find the license key under your account on the SearchWP website.

Fuzzy search is not enabled by default in SearchWP, but you can easily turn it on. First, you need to switch to the ‘Advanced’ tab in the plugin’s settings page.

Next, you need to simply check the ‘Partial matches (fuzzy when necessary)’ option under the ‘Actions & Settings’ section.

Check the Partial matches option in the Action & Settings section

Doing so will enable the fuzzy search feature for your site.

Once that is done, you should review the other SearchWP settings for your site. The plugin comes with a bunch of powerful options that allow you to customize the search feature on your website.

You can see them by simply switching to the ‘Engines’ tab under plugin settings.

From here, you can assign weight to different search results.

You can also click on the Sources & Settings button to select additional search areas. For instance, you can enable search for comments, products, and more instead of simply posts and pages.

Enable search for posts, comments, and pages

To learn more, see our complete guide on how to improve WordPress search with SearchWP.

Adding a Search Form to Your Website

SearchWP automatically replaces the default WordPress search.

This means that if you have already added the WordPress Search block or widget to your website, then it will start using SearchWP custom algorithm for results.

However, if you have not added the search form to your website, then you can do so by simply adding the Search block or widget to any post, page, or sidebar area.

Simply head over to the Appearance » Widgets page. Find the ‘Search’ block and simply add it to your sidebar.

Don’t forget to click on the ‘Update’ button to store your settings.

However, if you are using a block theme, then your theme may not have a widget-ready area. In that case, you won’t see the Widgets screen under the Appearance menu.

Instead, you can use the site editor to add the search block to your website. Simply go to the Appearance » Editor page to launch the editor.

After that, add the search block to your website where you want to display the search form.

Don’t forget to click on the Update button to save your settings.

You can now visit your website and try out the new more powerful search feature.

You can see in the image below how fuzzy search returns multiple relevant results with a misspelled query.

We hope this article helped you learn how to easily add fuzzy search to your WordPress website. You may also want to see our tutorial on how to add multilingual search in WordPress and our list of the most common WordPress errors and how to fix them.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Add Fuzzy Search in WordPress to Improve Results first appeared on WPBeginner.

How to Password Protect Your WordPress Admin (wp-admin) Directory

28.03.2023.htaccess password for wp-admin, password protect wordpress admin directory, password protect wp-admin directory, Tutorials, wordpress securityEditorial Staff

Do you want to learn how to password-protect your WordPress admin directory?

Adding another layer of password protection to your WordPress admin directory can be a great way to improve your WordPress security.

In this article, you’ll learn how you can password-protect your wp-admin directory easily.

How to Password Protect Your WordPress Admin (wp-admin) Directory

Why Password Protect Your WordPress Admin Directory?

By password-protecting your WordPress admin directory, you improve the security of the most important entry point to your WordPress website.

Your WordPress admin dashboard is the central hub of your site. It’s where you’ll publish posts and pages, customize your theme, install WordPress plugins, and more.

Often, when hackers try to get into your website, they’ll do it through the wp-admin screen. You can help to protect your website against potential attacks by using a secure password and limiting login attempts.

To be even more secure, you can also password-protect the wp-admin directory. Then when someone attempts to access your admin area, they’ll need to enter a username and password before they ever make it to the WordPress login screen.

With that said, let’s take a look at how you can password-protect your WordPress admin directory step by step.

The first method is recommended for most users, and you can use the quick links below to jump straight to the method you want to use.

Method 1: Password-Protect wp-admin Using Directory Privacy (Recommended)

The easiest way to password-protect your WordPress admin directory is by using your WordPress hosting provider’s Directory Privacy app.

First, you need to log in to your hosting account dashboard and click on the ‘Directory Privacy’ option in the Files section of your website’s advanced settings.

Note: Most web hosts using cPanel, like Bluehost, will have similar steps. However, your dashboard might be slightly different from our screenshots depending on your hosting provider.

This brings you to a screen that lists all of the different directories on your server. You need to find the folder that contains your website files.

For most website owners, this can be found by clicking on the ‘public_html’ folder.

This brings up all of the website files you’ve installed on your server.

Next, you’ll need to click on the folder with your website’s domain name.

In that folder, you’ll see a ‘wp-admin’ folder.

Instead of clicking the folder name, you’ll need to click the ‘Edit’ button next to that folder.

This brings you to a screen where you can turn on password protection.

Simply check the box that says ‘Password protect this directory’. If you like, you can also give your directory a name like ‘Admin Area’ to help you remember.

Once you’ve done that, you’ll need to click the ‘Save’ button.

This will take you to a page where the confirmation message will appear.

Now you’ll need to click the ‘Go Back’ button and you’ll be taken to a screen where you can create a user that will be able to access this directory.

You will be asked to enter a username and password, and then confirm the password. Make sure to note your username and password in a safe place, such as a password manager app.

Make sure you click the ‘Save’ button when you’ve done that.

Now, when someone tries to access your wp-admin directory, they will be prompted to enter the username and password you created above.

Password protect WordPress admin example

Method 2: Password-Protect wp-admin Using Code

You can also password-protect your WordPress admin directory manually. To do this you’ll need to create two files called .htpasswd and .htaccess.

Note: Adding any code to your website can be dangerous. Even a small mistake can cause major errors on your site. We only recommend this method for advanced users.

Creating the .htaccess File

First, open up your preferred text editor and name the new file .htaccess.

After that, you need to copy the following code snippet and add it to the file.

AuthName "Admins Only"
AuthUserFile /home/user/public_html/example.com/wp-admin/.htpasswd
AuthGroupFile /dev/null
AuthType basic
require user yourusername

Make sure you change the ‘AuthUserFile’ path to the location where you’ll upload the .htpasswd file and change ‘yourusername’ to the username you want to use to log in.

Don’t forget to save the file when you’re finished.

Creating the .htpasswd File

Once you’ve done that, you need to create a .htpasswd file.

To do this, open up a text editor and create a file called .htpasswd. This file will list your username along with your password in an encrypted format.

The easiest way to generate the encrypted password is with a htpasswd generator.

Simply enter your username and password, select the encryption format, and click the ‘Create .htpasswd file’ button.

The htpasswd generator will display a line of text that you need to paste into your .htpasswd file. Make sure you save the file once you’ve done that.

Uploading .htaccess and .htpasswd to the wp-admin Directory

The last step is to upload both of the files you created to your website’s wp-admin folder.

You will need to connect to your WordPress hosting account using an FTP client or the online file manager tool provided by your hosting provider. For more details, see our beginner’s guide on how to use FTP to upload files to WordPress.

For this tutorial, we’ll use FileZilla because it’s free and works on both Mac and Windows.

Once you have connected to your website, you will see the files on your computer in the left window, and the files on your website in the right. On the left, you need to navigate to the location where you saved the .htaccess and .htpasswd files.

Then on the right, you need to go to the wp-admin directory for the website you wish to protect. Most users will need to double-click the ‘public_html’ folder, then the folder with their domain name, then the ‘wp-admin’ folder.

Now you can select the two files on the left and click ‘Upload’ from the right-click menu or simply drag the files onto the left window.

Uploading the Files to Your Website's wp-admin Directory

Now your ‘wp-admin’ directory will be password protected.

Troubleshooting wp-admin Password Protection

Depending on how your server and website are set up, there’s a chance you might run into errors. These errors can be fixed by carefully adding code to your .htaccess file.

Note: This is the .htaccess file located in your main website folder, not the one you uploaded to the ‘wp-admin’ folder. If you’re having trouble finding it, then see our guide on why you can’t find .htaccess and how to locate it.

Fixing the Ajax Not Working Error

One of the most common errors is that Ajax functionality may stop working on the front end of your site. If you have WordPress plugins that require Ajax, such as live Ajax search or Ajax contact forms, then you will notice that these plugins won’t work anymore.

To fix this, simply add the following code to the .htaccess file that’s located in your ‘wp-admin’ folder.

<Files admin-ajax.php>
    Order allow,deny
    Allow from all
    Satisfy any 
</Files>

Fixing the 404 Error and Too Many Redirects Error

Two other errors you might run into are the 404 error and the too many redirects error.

The simplest way to fix them is to open up your main .htaccess file located in your website directory and add the following line of code before the WordPress rules.

ErrorDocument 401 default

We hope this article helped you learn how to password-protect your WordPress admin (wp-admin) directory. You may also want to see our expert picks of the best email marketing services for small businesses and our guide on how to get a free email domain.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Password Protect Your WordPress Admin (wp-admin) Directory first appeared on WPBeginner.

WooCommerce WordPress Theme SEO: Tips to Boost Your Online Store’s Visibility

28.03.2023WordPress NewsTeam WPLift

Talk to most people about search engine optimization for your online store, and chances are that most of the conversations will revolve around subjects like keywords and user-friendly content. While all of that is undoubtedly essential, it’s worth considering not only how your WooCommerce WordPress theme affects the SEO performance of your store but how [...]

How to Customize a WooCommerce WordPress Theme: Step-by-Step Guide

28.03.2023WordPress NewsTeam WPLift

So, you’ve found what looks like the perfect WooCommerce theme for your online store, but as great as it may look, it doesn’t exactly reflect your brand the way you’d like it to. That’s where this step-by-step guide comes in. Below, we’ll show you how to customize your WooCommerce WordPress theme from start to finish, [...]

Top 10 WooCommerce WordPress Themes for 2023

28.03.2023woocommerce, Woocommerce Themes, WordPress NewsTeam WPLift

There is a vast range of WooCommerce-compatible themes for WordPress. However, with thousands of them to sift through, finding a theme that will impact customer experience and conversion rates is challenging. It’s also essential to find a theme that works well on mobile; according to a Pew Research study, roughly three-quarters of US adults (76%) [...]

How to Fade Images on Mouseover in WordPress (Simple & Easy)

28.03.2023css, fade image effect, fade image on mouseover, image hover effect, seedprod, Themes, wpcodeEditorial Staff

Do you want to fade images on mouseover in WordPress?

A simple fade-in or fade-out animation when a user moves their mouse over an image can make your site more engaging. It also encourages visitors to interact with your content, which can keep them on your site for longer.

In this article, we’ll show you how to add a fade image effect on mouseover in WordPress.

How to fade images on mouseover in WordPress

Why Fade Images on Mouseover in WordPress?

Animations are an easy way to make your website more interesting, and can even draw the visitor’s attention toward your page’s most important content, such as your website logo or a call to action.

There are lots of different ways to use CSS animations in WordPress, but adding a hover effect to images is particularly effective. The fade animation means your images will slowly appear or disappear when visitors hover over them.

This encourages people to interact with your images, and can even add a storytelling element to the page. For example, different images might fade in and out as the visitor moves around the page.

Unlike some other animations, the fade image on mouseover effect is subtle so it won’t negatively impact the visitor’s reading experience or any image optimization you’ve done.

With that said, let’s show you how to add a fade to your images on mouseover in WordPress.

Adding Image Fade on Mouseover to all WordPress Images

The easiest way to add a fade effect to all your images is by using WPCode. This free plugin allows you to easily add custom code in WordPress without having to edit your theme files.

With WPCode, even beginners can edit their website’s code without risking mistakes and typos that can cause many common WordPress errors.

The first thing you need to do is install and activate the free WPCode plugin. For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, head over to Code Snippets » Add Snippet.

Adding custom code to your WordPress website with WPCode

Here, simply hover your mouse over ‘Add Your Custom Code.’

When it appears, click on ‘Use snippet.’

Creating a custom CSS snippet on your WordPress website

To start, type in a title for the custom code snippet. This can be anything that helps you identify the snippet in the WordPress dashboard.

We need to add custom CSS to WordPress, so open the ‘Code Type’ dropdown and select ‘CSS Snippet.’

Add a fade on mouseover animation to images using WPCode

In the code editor, add the following code snippet:

.post img:hover{
opacity:0.6;
filter:alpha(opacity=60); /* For IE8 and earlier */
-webkit-transition: all 2s ease;
-moz-transition: all 2s ease;
-ms-transition: all 2s ease;
-o-transition: all 2s ease;
transition: all 2s ease;
}

This code snippet will fade each image for 2 seconds when the user hovers their mouse over it. To make the image fade slower, simply replace ‘2s ease’ with a higher number. If you want to make the picture fade faster, then use ‘1s ease’ or smaller.

You can also make the ‘opacity’ higher or lower by changing the opacity:0.6 line.

If you change any of these numbers then make sure you change them across all the properties (webkit, moz, ms, and o), so the fade effect looks the same on every browser.

When you’re happy with the snippet, scroll to the ‘Insertion’ section. WPCode can add your code to different locations, such as after every post, frontend only, or admin only.

To add a fade effect to all your images, click on ‘Auto Insert.’ Then, open the ‘Location’ dropdown menu and choose ‘Site Wide Header.’

Inserting custom CSS across your WordPress website

After that, you’re ready to scroll to the top of the screen and click on the ‘Inactive’ toggle, so it changes to ‘Active.’

Finally, click on ‘Save Snippet’ to make the CSS snippet live.

Adding a fade effect to images using CSS

Now, if you hover the mouse over any image on your WordPress website, you’ll see the fade effect in action.

Adding Image Fade Animations to Individual Pages

Using a fade effect for every single image can become distracting, especially if you’re running a photography website, a stock photo store, or any other site that has lots of images.

With that in mind, you may want to use fade effects on a specific page or post only.

The good news is that WPCode allows you to create custom shortcodes. You can place this shortcode on any page, and WordPress will show fade effects on that page only.

To do this, simply create a custom code snippet and add the fade animation code following the same process described above. Then, click on the ‘Save snippet’ button.

Fade images on mouseover in WordPress using custom code

After that, scroll to the ‘Insertion’ section, but this time select ‘Shortcode.’

This creates a shortcode that you can add to any page, post, or widget-ready area.

After that, go ahead and make the snippet live following the same process described above.

You can now go to any page, post, or widget-ready area and create a new ‘Shortcode’ block. Then, simply paste the WPCode shortcode into that block.

How to create fade animations for images using shortcode

For more information on how to place the shortcode, please see our guide on how to add a shortcode in WordPress.

With that done, either click on the ‘Update’ or ‘Publish’ button to make the shortcode live. You can then visit that page, page, or widget-ready area to see the fade on mouseover effect.

Adding Image Fade Animations to Featured Images

Another option is to add fade animations to your featured images or post thumbnails. These are the post’s primary image and they often appear next to the heading on your home page, archive pages, and other important areas of your website.

By fading featured images on mouseover, you can make your site more eye-catching and engaging, without animating every single image across your WordPress blog or website.

To add a fade animation to your post thumbnails, simply create a new custom code snippet following the same process described above.

Adding a fade on mouseover effect to individual images

However, this time add the following code to the editor:

img.wp-post-image:hover{
opacity:0.6;
filter:alpha(opacity=60); /* For IE8 and earlier */
-webkit-transition: all 2s ease;
-moz-transition: all 2s ease;
-ms-transition: all 2s ease;
-o-transition: all 2s ease;
transition: all 2s ease;
}

After that, scroll to the ‘Insertion’ box and select ‘Auto Insert.’ Then, open the ‘Location’ dropdown menu and choose ‘Site Wide Header.’

Adding an animation to images on mouseover

After that, you can go ahead and make the code snippet live using the same process described above.

Now, you can hover the mouse over any featured image to see the fade animation in action.

If you want to add even more image mouseover effects, then see our guide on how to add image hover effects in WordPress.

Bonus: Animate Any Image, Text, Button, and More

Fade effects are a fun way to make images more interesting, but there are lots more ways to use animations in WordPress. For example, you might use flipbox animations to reveal text when a visitor hovers over an image, or use zoom effects so users can explore a picture in more detail.

If you want to try different effects, then SeedProd has over 40 animations that you can add to images, text, buttons, videos, and more. You can even animate entire sections and columns with just a few clicks.

Inside the SeedProd editor, simply click on the content you want to animate, and then select the ‘Advanced’ tab in the left-hand menu.

You can then go ahead and click to expand the ‘Animation Effects’ section.

After that, simply choose an animation from the ‘Entrance Animation’ dropdown, including a wide range of different fade effects.

Adding animations to WordPress using SeedProd

For more information, please see our guide on how to create a landing page with WordPress.

We hope this article helped you learn how to fade images on mouseover in WordPress. You may also want to see our guide on how to choose the best web design software, and our expert picks of the best WordPress popup plugins.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Fade Images on Mouseover in WordPress (Simple & Easy) first appeared on WPBeginner.

How to Add WhatsApp Chatbox and Share Buttons in WordPress

27.03.2023Whatsapp, whatsapp chatbox, whatsapp plugin for wordpress, whatsapp share button for wordpress, whatsapp sharing plugin for wordpress, WordPress PluginsEditorial Staff

Do you want to add WhatsApp chatbox and share buttons in WordPress?

WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging platforms and has about 2.2 billion users worldwide. Adding a Whatsapp share button will allow you to connect with the customers and build user engagement, and adding a chatbox button will let users message you directly through your website.

In this article, we’ll show you how to easily add a WhatsApp share button in WordPress.

How to add WhatsApp share button in WordPress

Why Add a WhatsApp Button in WordPress?

WhatsApp is an instant messaging app that allows people worldwide to easily contact each other.

Adding a WhatsApp share button to your WordPress website will allow visitors to easily share your content with their contacts.

Moreover, you can also add a WhatsApp chatbox enabling users to have a direct conversation with you.

For instance, if you have an online store, then a WhatsApp chat button can be used by customers to make product queries without having to fill out any forms or go through customer support.

It can result in increased user engagement and lower cart abandonment rates.

Having said that, let’s see how you can easily add a WhatsApp share button in WordPress.

Method 1: Add a WhatsApp Share button in WordPress

If you want to add a WhatsApp share button to your website, then this method is for you.

First, you need to install and activate the Sassy Social Share plugin. For more instructions, please see our beginner’s guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you need to visit the Sassy Social Share menu from the admin sidebar.

From here, you need to switch to the ‘Standard Interface’ tab at the top.

Then, you need to scroll down to the ‘Select Sharing Services’ section and simply check the box next to the WhatsApp option.

You can also add the Share button for other social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and more.

Once, you’re done, don’t forget to click on the ‘Save Changes’ button to store your settings, and then you can head to the ‘Theme Selection’ tab.

From here, you can customize the share buttons by changing their size, shape, logo or background color, and more. It’s a good idea to go with the WhatsApp brand colors for the share button so that users will recognize it more easily.

Once you are finished, don’t forget to click on the ‘Save Changes’ button to store your settings.

You can now visit your website to see your WhatsApp share button in action.

Here is how it looked on our demo website.

Don’t want to add WhatsApp button to every page? Don’t worry, the plugin also allows you to easily add it to single posts and pages as well.

Adding WhatsApp Share Button in Block Editor

If you only want to show the WhatsApp share button on specific posts and pages, then first you need to turn off the global display of sharing buttons.

To do that, simply go to the Sassy Social Share page in the WordPress admin sidebar and switch to the ‘Standard Interface’ tab.

Next, you need to uncheck the box for the ‘Enable Standard sharing interface’ option.

Next, switch to the ‘Floating Interface’ tab.

From here, uncheck the box next to the ‘Enable Floating sharing interface’ option.

Now that you have disabled the standard and floating social sharing buttons, you go ahead and WhatsApp share button to any page or post on your website using a shortcode.

Simply open the post or page where you want to display the WhatsApp share button in the content editor, or you can just create a new one.

From here, simply click on the Add Block (+) button at the top left corner and search for the ‘Shortcode’ block. After that, simply add the block to the page.

Next, you need to copy the following shortcode and paste it into the ‘Shortcode’ block.

[Sassy_Social_Share]

Once you’re done, simply click on the ‘Publish’ or ‘Update’ button to store your changes. Your WhatsApp Share button will look like this.

Adding WhatsApp Share Button as a Widget

To add the WhatsApp share button to the sidebar of your website, you need to visit the Appearance » Widgets page from the admin sidebar.

From here, simply click on the Add Block (+) button at the top left corner and locate the ‘Shortcode’ block.

Next, you need to add the ‘Shortcode’ block to the sidebar.

After that, simply copy and paste the following shortcode into the block.

[Sassy_Social_Share]

Next, click on the ‘Update’ button to store your settings.

This is how your WhatsApp share button will look once it’s added to the website sidebar.

Adding the WhatsApp Share Button in the Full Site Editor

If you’re using a block theme, then you’ll be using the full site editor and won’t have access to the ‘Widgets’ page.

First, you need to visit the Appearance » Editor option from the admin sidebar to launch the full site editor.

Next, you need to click on the ‘Add Block’ (+) button at the top of the screen and add the ‘Shortcode’ block to any suitable place on your website.

After that, add the following shortcode to the block.

[Sassy_Social_Share]

Add WhatsApp share button in Full site editor

Once, you’re done, click on the ‘Save’ button at the top.

This is how the WhatsApp share button looked on our demo website.

This method allows you to add a WhatsApp chatbox button in WordPress.

This means that when a user clicks on the WhatsApp chat button, they’ll be able to send you a direct message on your WhatsApp phone number.

Note: You won’t be getting any messages directly inside your WordPress dashboard, but you will be able to chat like normal in the WhatsApp mobile app, web interface, and desktop software.

First, you need to install and activate the Click to Chat plugin. For more instructions, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you need to head over to the Click to Chat menu item that has been added to your WordPress admin dashboard’s sidebar.

From here, you need to start by typing your business phone number in the ‘WhatsApp Number’ field.

This will be the phone number where you’ll receive messages from users.

After that, you need to type a simple message in the ‘Pre-Filled Message’ field. This will be the default message that will be displayed in your WhatsApp chat window.

Next, you need to scroll down to the ‘Style, Position’ section.

You can start by choosing a style for your WhatsApp chatbox from the dropdown menu. By default, this plugin offers about 8 different styles. Simply choose the one that you prefer.

Select a style for the WhatsApp chat box

After that, you need to scroll down to the ‘Position to Place’ section.

From here, you can choose the position and size of your chatbox from the dropdown menus.

Next, you need to go to the ‘Display Settings’ section.

Here, you just need to check the ‘Global’ box next to the options where you want to display your WhatsApp chatbox.

For instance, if you want to display the chatbox on your posts, pages, and categories pages, you need to check the ‘Global’ option.

You can also choose the ‘Hide’ option if you don’t want to display the WhatsApp chatbox on a certain page.

Finally, don’t forget to click the ‘Save Changes’ button to store your settings.

Now, you need to head over to the Click to Chat » Greetings page to select a Greeting dialog from a dropdown menu.

This greeting dialog will be shown along with the WhatsApp button on your page.

Choose a Greeting dialog from the dropdown menu

Once you’ve made your choice, you will need to type the content for the header, main content, and call to action of your greeting dialog.

After that, scroll down to the ‘Customizable Design’ section.

Once here, you can choose the background colors of your main content, header, and message box.

After that, simply click the ‘Save Changes’ button to store your settings

Choose background color for the greeting dialog

Next, you need to visit your website.

By default, this is how your WhatsApp chatbox will look like.

Now, we will show you how you can easily add the WhatsApp chat button in the block editor, as a widget, and in the full site editor.

Add the WhatsApp Chat Button in the Block Editor

You can easily add the WhatsApp button to a specific page or post on your WordPress website using the block editor.

For this tutorial, we will be adding the WhatsApp button to a page.

First, you need to go to the Pages » Add New page from the admin sidebar.

This will launch the block editor.

Now, you need to click the ‘Add Block’ (+) button at the top left corner of the screen and click on the ‘Shortcode’ block.

Once the ‘Shortcode’ block is added, you need to copy and paste the following shortcode into the block.

[ht-ctc-chat]

After that, simply click the ‘Publish’ button at the top.

This is how the WhatsApp button looked on our demo website.

Adding the WhatsApp Chat Button as a Widget

In this method, we will show you how to easily add the WhatsApp button as a widget in the sidebar of your website.

First, you need to head over to the Appearance » Widgets page from the WordPress sidebar.

Once there, simply click on the ‘Sidebar’ tab to expand it and then click the ‘Add Block’ (+) button at the top.

Next, simply locate and add the ‘Shortcode’ block to the sidebar.

Now, simply copy and paste the following shortcode into the block.

[ht-ctc-chat]

Finally, don’t forget to click the ‘Update’ button to store your settings.

This is how the WhatsApp button looked after being added to the sidebar on our demo website.

Adding the WhatsApp Chat Button in Full Site Editor

If you’re using a block-based theme with a full site editor, then this method is for you.

First, head over to the Appearance » Editor page to launch the full site editor.

Once there, simply click the ‘Add Block’ (+) button at the top left corner of the screen.

Now, simply locate and add the ‘Shortcode’ block to your preferred place on the site.

Once the block is added, simply copy and paste the following shortcode into the block.

[ht-ctc-chat]

In the end, don’t forget to click the ‘Update’ button at the top to save your changes.

This is how the WhatsApp button looked on our site.

We hope this article helped you learn how to add a WhatsApp share button in WordPress. You may also want to see our top picks of the best social media monitoring tools for WordPress users, and our beginner’s guide on how to build an email list.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Add WhatsApp Chatbox and Share Buttons in WordPress first appeared on WPBeginner.

WordPress Site Editor Comes out of Beta

Improved Navigation Menu Block

Improved Template Browsing Experience

Template Parts Highlighted with Colors

Modify Your Theme With The Style Book

Ability to Add Custom CSS to Your Theme or Blocks

Copy and Paste Block Styles

Improved Pattern Insertion

Openverse Free Media Library Integration

New Sub Panels for Block Settings & Styles

New Distraction-Free Mode

Import Classic Widgets as Template Parts in Block Themes

Miscellaneous Enhancements

Under The Hood Changes

What is Fuzzy Search And Why Should You Add it to Your Website?

How to Add Fuzzy Search to Your WordPress Website

Adding a Search Form to Your Website

Why Password Protect Your WordPress Admin Directory?

Method 1: Password-Protect wp-admin Using Directory Privacy (Recommended)

Method 2: Password-Protect wp-admin Using Code

Troubleshooting wp-admin Password Protection

Why Fade Images on Mouseover in WordPress?

Adding Image Fade on Mouseover to all WordPress Images

Adding Image Fade Animations to Individual Pages

Adding Image Fade Animations to Featured Images

Bonus: Animate Any Image, Text, Button, and More

Why Add a WhatsApp Button in WordPress?

Method 1: Add a WhatsApp Share button in WordPress

Method 2: Add a WhatsApp Chatbox Button in WordPress